Beowulf's Reputation

At the opening of this excerpt, Unferth tries to tarnish Beowulf’s reputation by discussing his swimming match with Breca.
1. Why would Unferth do this?
a. First of all, I believe that Unferth is a drunk and he tried to tarnish Beowulf’s reputation because he was jealous of him. He didn’t want to accept that he would be the one to slay the sea-beast.
2. How does Beowulf respond?
a. Beowulf quickly defends himself by saying the he has trained hard and he can outlast any person because he has the determination and strength to persevere. On page 37, line 532, Beowulf says, “The truth is this: I was the strongest swimmer of all…we grew up daring ourselves to outdo each other, boasting and urging each other to risk our lives on the sea…but Breca could never move out farther or faster from me…my sword plunged and the ordeal was over. Through my own hands, the fury of battle had finished off the sea-beast.”
3. How does his response contribute to his persona as a hero?
a. The way Beowulf handled this situation exemplified that he was a true hero. He didn’t go start a fight with Unferth when he made the comment that Beowulf could never beat the sea-beast. Also, Beowulf demonstrated that he was a hero because he never let his goal out of sight and got rid of the sea-beast.